Palm Coast man accused of leaving pit bull to baby-sit infant

James R. Irvine, 41, was arrested and charged with child neglect at 12:30 a.m. Saturday after the child's mother reported that he left the infant alone while she was at work.

JULIE MURPHYSTAFF WRITER

PALM COAST — A Palm Coast man is accused of leaving a pit bull to baby-sit for a 10-month-old while he went to a local bar, according to a Flagler County sheriff's report. James R. Irvine, 41, was arrested and charged with child neglect at 12:30 a.m. Saturday after the child's mother reported that he left the infant alone while she was at work, the report states. The mother, who is not named in the report, told deputies she left Irvine in charge of her son when she left for work on Nov. 30. She called several times before 11 p.m. with no answer, and the last time Irvine picked up the phone he told her "I'm watching the game" and hung up on her, according to the report. The woman arrived home and found Irvine trying to get in the garage door, the report states. He eventually told her he had been "having a few drinks."Irvine told her he had not "left the baby alone," according to the report, because the "pit bull was watching the baby."The baby was in his bedroom with the door shut, the report states."The dog was sitting outside the room, and the baby was crying," a deputy reported.The mother checked on the baby, who was "wet and clearly hadn't been changed in a while," according to the report. Other conditions in the house, like cats shut in a room and cat food put up on the counter, were as though everyone would be "out for long periods of time."Irvine refused to open the door, but told deputies "he had been on the couch all day and night watching TV," according to the reports.Deputies then went to McCharacter's on Palm Coast Parkway and spoke to a bartender who said she was familiar with Irvine and had waited on him about 9:30 p.m. She said that he was supposed to return to pay his tab, the report states. She gave deputies a tab for $23.50 for a total of six beers, according to the report, and positively identified Irvine. Irvine was booked into the Flagler County Inmate Facility and later released on $1,500 bail.